Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

BON JOVI

New Jersey soft rock overlords, distrusted by purists as 'false metal', but big hair and airbrushed melodies brought global success. They were the Beatles to Guns N' Roses' Rolling Stones, or Herman's Hermits to their Animals, depending on your point of view, but Bon Jovi offered sanctuary to those who find the works of Bruce Springsteen too musically and intellectually challenging. Formed early '83 by vocalist Jon Bon Jovi (b John Bongiovi, 2 March '62) and guitarist Richie Sambora (b 11 July '59), with keyboard player David Bryan (b David Rashbaum, 7 Feb. 62), bassist Alec John Such (b 14 Nov. 56; replaced '94 by Huch McDonald) and drummer Tico Torres (b 7 Oct. 53), world domination took a while. Signed to Phonogram (Vertigo UK, Mercury US), first two albums Bon Jovi '84 and 7800 Fahrenheit '85 made some chart impact, then Slippery When Wet '86 and New Jersey '88 were massive global hits, both USA no. ones (latter no. 1 in UK too). The lite-metal triptych 'You Give Love A Bad Name', 'Livin' On A Prayer' and 'Bad Medicine' were all USA no. 1 singles. Bon Jovi and Sambora both made solo records (Blaze Of Glory '90 and Stranger In This Town '91 respectively) of which the former (top five US/UK) was unsurprisingly the more successful. The band reunited for the disappointing Keep The Faith '92 (UK no. 1, USA top five), then the greatest hits set Cross Road sold double-figure millions worldwide. On '95 release of These Days, which sold 130,000 copies in Britain in its first week, Bon Jovi insisted, 'We're the band next door that practiced in a garage, but that twelve years later plays really big garages, you know?' In fact the heavier rock of These Days seemed to react to criticism, or perhaps just cleverly allow the influence of both grunge and USA rock bands like the Black Crowes. Reviewing a UK tour, critic Steve Turner summed up a lot of pop music: 'Bon Jovi music can only really work for you if you believe the Bon Jovi myth. If you don't believe, you are left with the sound of one man worshipping himself in the mirror of an audience and an audience worshipping itself in the mirror of a man.' But interviewers find him to be genuinely pleased and almost surprised by his success, claiming simply to write the best songs he can and embarrassed by his own earlier work. He had also done an album of film-derived music, Blaze Of Glory/Young Guns II '90. Looking for more garages to conquer, he did a cameo in Moonlight And Valentino and played the lead in The Leading Man mid-'90s, and his acting was said to be not bad. A new solo album was Destination Anywhere '97, of which Charles Shaar Murray wrote, 'Sweet guy, total professional, dull album.'